We are making easy sweet brezel

We’ve seen and tasted mostly the savoryones. Sweet brezel are rarely found. Time to make some.

Pretzel (German brezel) is a famous baked bread product during the Middle Ages. It is traditionally savory with strong empowered taste and garnish of salt and thus it is great accompanying for beer. It was produced in monasteries because its shape symbolizes hands in prayer. Nowadays, the shape and size vary, it can be found also as a sweet pastry and the only prayer, to be fresh out of the oven.

Ingredients for our recipe:

160gwarm milk

1 packet dry yeast

15g+60g granulated sugar

1 egg

340gall-purpose flour

5g salt

100g unsalted butter cut in pieces (room temperature)

Dissolve the dry yeast and 15g of sugar in the warm milk and let it rest for 10 minutes. Add the egg.

Combine in your bowl mixer flour, 60g of sugar, salt and the milk mixture. Knead with the hook on low to medium speed, until combined and add piece by piece, making sure that the previous is combined, the butter. Let it rest for 6 minutes.

Knead for another 8-9 minutes on medium to high speed or until your dough is smooth and silky and pulls away from the bowl. Butter you mixer bowl transfer your dough inside, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles.

Preheat the oven to 190οC.

Weigh and divide your dough in 8 pieces. Flour lightly your working bench, form 8 balls and while you work with 1, cover the rest of them with a wet towel.

Roll the ball into rope 45-50 centimeters long. Shape it like U. Grab the edges and intertwine them twices, pinch them on the curve and turn it upside down.

Brush them with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar crystals. Bake for 15 minutes or until dark golden brown in color.

Let them cool and enjoy the same day, or store them in an air-tight container.

Notes

Note 1: This dough is stickier from the savory pretzels, you may need some extra flour when you shape it.

Note 2 : You can add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, make your pretzels chocolate flavor or sprinkle them with sliced almonds.